Volunteering at CCSC is a family legacy for Tricia Chio, she continues the work of her in-laws, Lance and Maggie Olinde, by volunteering with CCSC’s Youth Services program as a Vision Care screener and a member of the Jingle Bell Express Committee.  

Tricia has also volunteered with her son at CCSC’s Back To School, even when they did not live in Houston but were visiting for the summer. Tricia said that after all her years of living overseas, she was ready to have a routine and “volunteering at CCSC allows me to feel like a part of the place where I live.”  

Tricia is a member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, along with her family, including her sister and mother. Tricia said that volunteering with CCSC gives her a positive and helpful group of people to work with and provides an immediate impact. 

 “The other Vision Care volunteers are a community, and they help new volunteers learn the process,” Tricia said. “The nurses at the schools have to conduct hearing and vision screenings, while also taking care of regular medication and injury needs. They are very grateful for the help that the CCSC vision screeners provide.”   

Volunteers with the Louise J. Moran Vision Care Program are trained to assess a child’s eyesight using a standard letter chart. If there is a language barrier or the students are too young to know their letters, volunteers are taught to try a different tactic which involves the students matching what they see on the chart to letters right in front of them. The students are sometimes surprised that the volunteers know the letter names in Spanish.  

With the Jingle Bell Express Committee, Tricia specializes in toys for 3- to 6-year-olds. Tricia says research is done to determine the most popular toys for children in each age range and then the shopping and donating begins.  

“The younger years get lots of donations, so we don’t have to do as much buying as the volunteers responsible for the older years,” she said. “It is very rewarding to offer assistance to the families, especially at this time of year, which can be so difficult for some people.”  

Tricia looks forward to continuing her family’s volunteering legacy and CCSC is grateful for her time and talents.